Thread by @raniroyrocky

#ThisDayInHistory #JatinDas
Jatindranath Das, a freedom fighter who along with Bhagat Singh & other revolutionaries sat on a indefinite hunger strike today in 1929 demanding jail reforms & rights of prisoners & undertrials.

#JatinDas
Born in 1904, Calcutta, Jatin Das was a born activist. He had links with Anushilan Samity, he participated in the Non co-operation movement at the age of 16. He was arrested twice during the movement. He became a full fledged freedom fighter since then

#JatinDas
When he came in contact with Bhagat Singh, they immediately struck a chord. it was then when Singh convinced him to prepare bombs to be used in the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi. Jatin Das was proficient in the craft of bomb making.

#JatinDas
When Bhagat Singh asked him to teach him the art of bomb making, he refused as he didnot believe in ‘Individual patriotism’. But after Singh’s persuasion he later accepted n joined him in bomb making & trial explosions. For Jatin, Bhagat Singh was the bravest.

#JatinDas
The backdrop of this bombing was the protest against a bill to stop labour agitation created by the mill workers of Mumbai against the pathetic working conditions. Bhagat Singh & his party HSRA supported their cause & actively participated in the agitation.

#JatinDas
British govt planned to impose a draconian bill named Trade Dispute Bill, which sought to ban trade unions & their protests. They had captured many socialist leaders following the strike in Mumbai. on 8th April 1929, Bhagat Singh & Batukeshwar Dutta hurled the bombs

#JatinDas
Singh, Dutta, Sukhdev, Rajguru didnot have any intention of killing anyone. The central idea of such an act was to press resentment for the bills. These bombs were harmless ones, as they emitted only smoke. But it conveyed the message they wanted to sent

#JatinDas
Nehru was present in the Central Legislative Assembly when the bombs were hurled. He didnt utter a word when both Singh & Dutta were arrested from the scene. both he & Gandhiji distanced themselves from this ‘act of violence’ as usual.

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Jatin Das was also arrested for conspiring & revolutionary activities from Calcutta. after imprisonment, Bhagat Singh started the fasting, later Jatin Das joined him to support him before the trial in the Sessions Court against the terrible conditions of the prison.

#JatinDas
They asked for better diet, better facilities n Lights. This sent a message to many other prisoners as well. Many more joined them. Many freedom fighters supported their cause including Subhash Bose. Gandhiji said ‘… I am not in favour of hunger strikes”

#JatinDas
The jail authorities took many measures to forcibly feed the fasters, beat them & deny them water. When their plight became a nationwide news, the Punjab govt was forced to give in to some of their demands. However Jatin Das was already in a critical stage by then.

#JatinDas
Bhagat Singh made him break the indefinite fasting, But he restarted again inspite of the fact that he was already weak when the Jail Authorities didnot release him inspite of his conditions. Jatin Das developed pneumonia & other infections in his lungs.

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He started losing health. His hunger strike was itself fatal. He only took medicines on Bhagat SIngh’s persuasion. Later, Govt tried to give bail & lifted all charges on Jatin Das, but Jatin Das didnt ask for his own amnesty. his fight was for his countrymen.

#JatinDas
on the 63rd day Jatin Das breathed his last. Though the demands of revolutionaries were later fulfilled, he didn’t live to see the success of hunger strike. Bhagat Singh had lost a great comrade & friend who had supported him in freedom struggle till his last breath.

#JatinDas
The hunger strike of a young Bengali revolutionary shook the British empire & it’s impact was so great that it compelled the British government to take notice of the demands of Indian prisoners who were subjected to unhygienic food and poor living conditions.

#JatinDas
sadly people today know less or nothing about Jatin Das. Our History books and the politicians of pre independent era termed Jatin Das as trigger happy outlaws
স্বাধীনতা হীনতায় কে বাঁচিতে চায় হে
কে বাঁচিতে চায়?
দাসত্ব শৃঙ্খল কে পড়িবে পায়ে হে
কে পড়িবে পায়ে...

source of the thread :
Revolutionaries and the British Raj
By Shiri Ram Bakshi
books.google.co.in/books?id=7_rWW…